The Clapton Hart, London, 20 July 2026

2 Aug 2026

My final job before a planned four-week hiatus to go long-distance travelling was with Clapton Drawing at The Clapton Hart. This meant being back under stewardship of Catherine Hall, erstwhile of Drawing the Star where I’d posed two weeks earlier.

This evening was a more low-key affair than a fortnight ago at The Star. I would have said “quieter“, but for a rowdy incoherent intervention during our break by a local lady with mental health difficulties – a regrettable but rare incident. I hope she finds help.

Aside from our drawing and modelling, Catherine and I used this evening to conclude some private business. As well as being a great group organiser, a fantastic tutor and good friend, Catherine is a brilliant artist. So I’ve bought another of her paintings.

She’s set herself the ambitious target of painting a billion (you heard correct) skies on 20cm x 20cm canvases. I already owned ‘Study, My Sky 0,000,000,017‘, from 2020; I now own ‘Study, Your Sky 0,000,000,051‘ from this year’s summer solstice.

The thing with it being such a new painting is that whilst I paid for it at The Star, I was not able to collect it that evening because the oil paint hadn’t dried sufficiently. This is art reality! But allowing two more weeks, it was safe for me to collect in Clapton.

Numbers 17 and 51 now hang side-by-side on the wall of my staircase at home. I am quite enjoying collecting art at the moment. Not in any disciplined or investment style, but as the whim takes me. Within what I can afford, I simply follow my heart.

This summer I made three separate bids in the ‘secret auction’ of Leigh Art Trail and was delighted to succeed in acquiring two of the three pieces. I’d obtained two pieces in previous years via the same route. Mantra: support the living arts!

It seems with my modelling I am inspiring art, and what I earn from it now contributes to me buying art. Both ends of the equation bring me joy. Check out ‘Study, Your Sky 0,000,000,051‘ below, and many more skies on Instagram @catherinehallart.